That Night
by heggyy
Summary: The events leading up to Firenze's appointment at Hogwarts. How will the other centaurs react?


**Round 4 of the Quidditch League Writing Competition**

 **Keeper for Chudley Cannons**

 **Written from the point of view of a Centaur**

I stand on the fringe of the trees; where the canopy begins to thin, but there's still the rustle of dead leaves underfoot. Mist curls around me, hugging the trees, floating lazily through the thick, sticky air. The immediate forest is bathed in the bluish hue of dusk, soon fading away to an abyss of black.

The atmosphere is tense. I'm breathing heavily, my chest expanding and retracting evenly.

"You've changed, Firenze," Bane's eyes are hard and cold, all devoid of any kindness.

I don't reply, letting the silence sit between us, thick as the fog.

"You betray our ways to the humans," Ronan spits, stepping forward from the rest of the herd to stand level with Bane. Shoulder to shoulder they form a barrier, an impassable wall of muscle.

Again I don't speak. Anger pulses in my veins. I want to rip and tear and shred. But I breathe, and let the breeze cool the sweat that trickles down my back.

"What do you have to say for yourself?" Ronan shouts suddenly, his voice echoing through the trees. "Will you defend yourself? Or will you run like the coward you are?"

My hoof paws softly at the wet dirt beneath it. I grit my teeth with fury.

Ronan turns back to the herd, muscles rippling underneath his chestnut coat.

"Just a few years ago Firenze degraded himself to a mere horse. Allowing children to ride him like some sort of animal."

There are murmurs of dissent, angry eyes staring back at me.

"And now, he has been offered a job at Hogwarts! To teach humans as if he were one of them. To share _our_ studies of the planets."

Ronan turns back to me, as does the gaze of the other centaurs. He has them hanging onto every word.

"We will not allow this betrayal. Not just the betrayal of us, but of all centaurs. The betrayal of learnings that extend back millions of years."

I bite back tears. They will not see weakness. I stand proudly, shoulders back, chin in the air.

"Will we allow this breach of our trust? Of our hard work?"

I stare at Bane, begging him silently for mercy. He makes contact for a second, but his eyes slide away, staring at a patch of ground near my feet.

"Or will we stand, as proud beings of this forest, and protect the work of our ancestors?" Ronan shouts again, his words climbing into a cry.

There's the thud of hoof on soil, and I'm surrounded, my escape route suddenly blockaded.

"Stop!" I croak.

But it's too late. As if hypnotised by Ronan's words, someone pushes me from behind. I stumble, just catching myself before I get another kick from the front. I trip and crash down, looking up just in time to see Ronan's hoof collide with my chest, knocking all the wind out of me. I gasp desperately, the air no longer thick enough for me to breathe in. There are more shoves, from centaurs I once called my brothers. Why?

I can feel myself slipping out of consciousness, the edges of my vision fading to a murky black. I press my face against the cool forest floor. How peaceful it is down here. I could lie here all day. Just staring at the leaves, breathing in the fresh woody scent. Feeling the dew in my hair. Letting the leaves fall on top of me, until I'm buried and start to decay…

Suddenly there's a shout, and the hits subside.

"Ger'off 'im!"  
A loud voice pulls me out of my daze. My focus sharpens again.

"Yeah! You! Get away from 'im!"

Hagrid.

I can't see, but I can sense the fury. Please don't hurt Hagrid. Hagrid's kind. Hagrid's my friend.

"You go away from 'ere now and don't come back," Hagrid shouts angrily.

I can see hooves shuffling.

"I mean it," Hagrid growls

I don't see what happens, but suddenly the herd has taken off, the ground vibrating in my bones as they canter into the distance.

"Firenze? You alright?" Hagrid kneels clumsily by me. I tilt my head wearily to meet his gaze.

"Yes," I slur.

"You need to get some help. Can you walk?"

Weakly I push myself into a standing position, and, leaning heavily on Hagrid, manage to hobble out of the forest.

Once we've left the claustrophobia of the forest, I feel better. The sky is gaping and open, the stars tiny pinpricks above me.

"I guessed they'd be pretty angry after Dumbledore asked you," Hagrid says as I pause to catch my breath.

"I've been keeping my eye on you for a while now. Personally don't think what Dumbledore did was smart, but 'e has his reasons. Cleverest guy I know. And kind. Always forgivin'. Let me come back as Gamekeeper, even after I got expelled."

My mind wanders as Hagrid speaks. He's a chatty man - loves talking about Dumbledore, but I don't feel like engaging. Not today.

We make it to his hut, and I settle outside. Whatever the other centaurs think, I'm not a human.

Hagrid hurries inside, stooping to get through the door, and returns a few minutes later with a large steak.

"Stick this on your bruises. Should be healed in a couple of days," he says, slapping the meat into my palms.

Normally I'd turn my nose at this, but I willingly place it on the large bruise on my chest. The adrenaline is wearing off, leaving just pain and fear. I should have defended myself. Why did I have to be so proud? I could have refused Dumbledore and stayed with the herd. What am I going to do now?

I've spent days away from the herd before; wandering and thinking, taking the time to learn about myself. But they've always been there for when I want to go back, when I need company and support. Now that choice has been ripped from me. I never realised how much I took them for granted.

I'm going to have to take up Dumbledore's offer. There's no other way about it. I'll live the rest of my life as a human, eating in the Great Hall off a plate, sleeping in a room… Even to me that sounds wrong. I am a social outcast; too domesticated for the centaurs, too feral for the humans.

Maybe I could go and find another pack? Maybe they'd adopt me as one of their own. Deep down I know that's impossible. Finding another herd would take years, and gaining their trust even longer.

There's only one option left. I go and apologise. I tell them I was mistaken and misguided. Tell them I've changed my ways. But then I remember the anger in their eyes, feel the bruises throbbing on my body.

I sink down and look up, the stars stretching, eternal above me.

Pluto and Neptune are aligned.

Something bad is going to happen.


End file.
